Protective plate or shield for use in connection with dental treatment

ABSTRACT

A MOUTH SHIELD TO BE POSITIONED IN THE CORNER OF THE MOUTH OF A DENTAL PATIENT DURING TREATMENT TO PROTECT THE CHEEK, LIPS, AND CORNER OF THE MOUTH FROM DENTAL INSTRUMENTS AND MEDICANTS COMPRISING A CENTRAL MEMBER FOR CONTACTING THE CORNER OF THE PATIENT&#39;&#39;S MOUTH AND INNER AND OUTER MEMBERS FOR GRIPPING THE PATIENT&#39;&#39;S CHEEK, THE THREE MEMBERS FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED CROSS SECTION. THE CENTRAL MEMBER IS SHAPED TO CONFORM TO THE CORNER OF THE MOUTH. THE INNER MEMBER HAS A CONVEX SURFACE FACING THE OUTER MEMBER AND THE OUTER MEMBER HAS A CONCAVE SURFACE FACING THE INNER   MEMBER. THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE INNER MEMBER AND THE OUTER MEMBER DECREASES FROM THE CENTRAL MEMBER TOWARD THE FREED ENDS.

United States Patent 1 72] inventor Gunner Oscarsson Kullaplatsen, I-lalsingborg, Sweden [21] Appl. No. 751,227 [22} Filed Aug. 8, 1968 [45] Patented June 28, 1971 [32] Priority Dec. 29, 1967, Aug. 8, 1967 [33] Sweden [31] 18071/67 and 11,270/67 [54] PROTECTIVE PLATE 0R SI-IIELD FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH DENTAL TREATMENT OTHER REFERENCES THE MERCK INDEX, Seventh Edition, 1960, p. 222 (Copy in GR. 335) Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-Kyle L. Howell Attorney-Birch, Swindler, McKie and Beckett ABSTRACT: A mouth shield to be positioned in the corner of the mouth of a dental patient during treatment to protect the cheek, lips, and corner of the mouth from dental instruments and medicants comprising a central member for contacting the comer of the patients mouth and inner and outer members for gripping the patient's check, the three members forming a substantially U-shaped cross section. The central member is shaped to conform to the corner of the mouth. The inner member has a convex surface facing the outer member and the outer member has a concave surface facing the inner member. The distance between the inner member and the outer member decreases from the central member toward the free ends.

PATENTE U JUH28 WI 3. 587 566 saw 1 BF 2 Fig.1

PROTECTIVE PLATE OR SHIELD FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH DENTAL TREATMENT SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned with a protective plate intended for use in dental treatment or the like, for protection of the cheeks, lips and the corners of the mouth when working in a patients mouth, against such instruments as drills and the like as well as such medicaments which are liable to damage the skin tissues if brought into contact therewith.

The protective means according to the invention comprises a U-shaped member made of an elastic, resilient plastic material and presenting two essentially semicircular side members which are slightly bowl shaped and converge slightly from the base portion of the U-shaped member with the free ends of the side members.

The shield is intended to be inserted in the mouth of the patient so that it covers portions of the patients lips and checks and thus hold the mouth open and protect the covered portrons.

Owing to the fact that the two sides converge the shield will clamp about the cheek muscles and remain firmly in position.

In order to confer a certain degree a yieldability to the shield so that the shield is able to yield against the pressure of dental instruments it is expedient to vary the overall thickness of the shield. The outer side of the shield, that is the side which lies against the outside of the patient's cheek when the device is being used and which is suitably convex outwardly, may conveniently be thinnest in the middle and thicker towards the end portions, while the inside of the shield is preferably thickest in the middle and thinner towards the end portions. The inside of the shield is also suitably provided with a recess in the thicker, central portion. In this way the clamping action is increased whilst at the same time the recess facilitates gripping of the shield when inserting it into the patient's mouth.

An alternative embodiment to that described in the afor'egoing is one in which, instead of varying the thickness of the two side members, the shield is made of a material which although of even thickness also presents uneven surfaces, so that positive fixing of the shield in place by friction'means is ensured.

It has also been found expedient to provide the plastic shield with a coating of hydrophobic cellulose. This coating will also contribute to the secureness of the device in its correct position, and as a result thereof the external portion of the shield can be made smaller.

Another variation of the shield is one in which the outer portion is broken with a relatively large opening, so that it takes the form of a ring. When a shield of this design is placed in the comers of the mouth the cheeks bulge out through the opening, thus retaining the shield. The ring also facilitates the positioning of the shield and, moreover, when necessary may also serve as an attachment means for a device for ensuring that the shield is held positively in position. In the case of this design the outside of the shield can be made substantially flat and the inside smaller.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invention will now be described with reference to a number of embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows in side elevation a shield intended for the right-hand side of the mouth,

FIG. 2 shows a horizontal section of the shield illustrated in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows in perspective a further embodiment of the shield according to the invention, in which the outer portion of said shield is provided with a relatively large opening, and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the shield illustrated in FIG. 3 and taken through the line lV-IV therein.

The shield 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is made in one piece of a suitable plastic material, which is rigid enough to retain essentially its form but which is at the same time elasticall flexible. The shield presents a U-shaped cross section, and t e two side members of the U are bowl shaped and essentially parallel to each other although the distance between the members is somewhat less at their free ends than at the web of the U. The outside 2 of the shield is preferably thinnest at its center portion 3, while on the other hand the inside 4 is thickest at its center portion 5. This is shown somewhat exaggerated in FIG. 2, so that the difference becomes more apparent. The two side members 2, 4 are essentially semicircular in side view, while the connecting portion 6 in side view presents a slight bowllike configuration, as seen from FIG. 1, to conform to the shape of the corners of the mouth. The inside of the shield is suitably provided with a recess 7.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS; 3 and 4 the outside of the shield 9 is provided with a relatively large opening 10, the shape of which is such that a curved portion 11 of substantially uniform width remains about the circumference of the outside of the shield. The shield is in other respects designed as the shield illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the inside 12 of the shield is unbroken.

The mouth shield according to the invention can be manufactured in a number of different sizes, to provide the dentist with a suitable selection for different patients. If necessary a shield designed according to the invention can be easily made to fit one particular patient, by paring or shaving the shield at the edges. In a similar manner the shield can also be adjusted for attachment in other positions than the corners of the mouth.

Naturally, the invention is not restricted to the illustrated and described embodiments, but the design of the shield can be varied with the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A self-retaining shield to be positioned in a comer of the mouth of a dental patient to protect the lips and cheek from harm caused by instruments and medicaments comprising:

an elongated central member of compound curvature adapted to extend along the lip and conform substantially to the shape of the corner of the mouth, said central member having a generally U-shaped cross section adapted to fit around the lip and a longitudinal convex surface facing in the direction of the opening of said U- shaped cross section adapted to fit along the lip; and

inner and outer members of substantially planar configuration adapted to conform to and grip the cheek, said inner and outer members having one end integrally connected to said central member and extending laterally and convergently therefrom in the direction of the opening of said U-shaped cross section and forming extensions thereof, said inner and outer members having their other ends free to define therebetween an opening to receive the corner of the mouth, said inner member having a convex surface facing said outer member and said outer member having a concave surface facing said inner member.

2. A shield according to claim I wherein said inner and outer members include a center portion intermediate said central member and said free ends, and wherein said outer member is of lesser thickness at said center portion than at said ends, and said inner member is of greater thickness at said center portion than at said ends.

3. A shield according to claim 1 wherein said outer member includes a center portion intermediate said central member and said free ends and includes an opening in said center portion to enhance the gripping action of said inner and outer members.

4. A shield according to claim I made of an elastic resilient plastic material of sufficient stiffness to substantially retain its shape in use. 

